Kevin McClatchy | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 13, 1963 (1963-01-13) (age 62) Sacramento,California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Known for | Former owner ofPittsburgh PiratesMajor League Baseball franchise |
Kevin S. McClatchy (born January 13, 1963) is the chairman ofMcClatchy and former owner of thePittsburgh Pirates baseball team. He led a group of investors that purchased the team in1996, and served as the team's CEO and lead owner until 2007, whenBob Nutting took over as lead owner, and McClatchy and Nutting hiredFrank Coonelly to become CEO.
McClatchy was born inSacramento,California, the son ofC.K. McClatchy and Grace Kennan. He is a grandson of the eminent diplomat and historianGeorge F. Kennan. His great-grandfatherCharles Kenny McClatchy editedThe Sacramento Bee for 53 years and was a founder ofMcClatchy Newspapers.His father "CK" ran the paper, and nurtured it to become public, and with Erwin Potts' leadership, McClatchy acquired papers throughout the US, and became the predominant media leader of journalism in the US market.[1] Prior to purchasing the Pirates, he owned the minor-leagueModesto A's.[2] In addition to his baseball work, McClatchy is a director of the family-ownedThe McClatchy Company, of which McClatchy Newspapers was the forerunner (he succeededGary B. Pruitt as chairman of the board of the company in April 2012).[3]
An alumnus of theTrinity-Pawling School inPawling, New York, McClatchy went on to graduate from theUniversity of California, Santa Barbara, where he was a member of theSigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
McClatchy was the leader and plurality investor in a group that paid $95 million ($196 million today) for the Pittsburgh Pirates in February 1996. McClatchy immediately assumed the posts of managing general partner andchief executive officer, becoming the public face of the ownership group.
McClatchy was a member of Major League Baseball's executive council and the labor and international committees. At some point after 2005, which is not entirely known because the Pirates are a private corporation,Wheeling, West Virginia newspaper publisher G. Ogden Nutting and his family became the plurality and then majority owners in the franchise.Bob Nutting, Ogden's son, had already served aschairman of the board since 2002. The Nuttings, however, mostly shied from the spotlight and allowed McClatchy to continue serving as the main or even sole voice of the ownership group.
In 2006, McClatchy speculated openly about resigning, possibly even selling the team, if the Pirates did not improve. He affirmed that he was frustrated with his own team, referencing popular and political complaints about the "promise" he made that the publicly fundedPNC Park would provide the owners with all the resources they needed to field a winning team. On October 4, 2006, however, McClatchy announced that despite another losing season, he would remain in his offices, and made only a few minor personnel changes. On January 12, 2007, the Pirates announced that Bob Nutting would replace McClatchy as the Pirates principal owner, though McClatchy stayed on as CEO and operating head of the franchise.[4] During McClatchy's reign as owner, the Pirates never achieved a winning season. The closest they came was in 1997, when they finished 79-83–which was also the only time they finished higher than third in their division.
On July 6, 2007, it was announced that McClatchy would step down as CEO after the 2007 MLB season. On September 8, 2007, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported that baseball executive Frank Coonelly will be hired by the Pirates to replace McClatchy as CEO. This report came just one day after the Pirates fired general managerDave Littlefield. The hiring of Coonelly was announced September 13.[5]
On September 22, 2012, McClatchy came out asgay in an interview withFrank Bruni ofThe New York Times.[6]
As of 2013, McClatchy continues to live inLigonier Township, Pennsylvania.[7]